Le Grand Domaine Valmorel - St Francois Longchamp Ski Resort France
Valmorel - St François Longchamp ski resort spans the Tarentaise & Maurienne valleys via the renowned Col de la Madeleine, providing the best of both world's when skiing the French Alps. Its two contrasting villages, incredible off-piste & backcountry terrain plus 165km of piste trails makes it way more than one may bargain for and provides an exceptional 'Grand Domaine' experience without the cost & crowds of more popular mega-resorts in the region.
Pros & Cons for Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp Ski Resort
Pros
- Lesser-known, least crowded of the Tarentaise ‘mega-resorts’ - feels more like a friendly local’s ski hill, but definitely skis like a BIG one.
- Fabulous snow quality and depth across the entire resort (except at St Francois 1450).
- Magnificent ski lift infrastructure.
- Extensive on-piste trails for all abilities.
- Terrain covers all directional aspects.
- Splendid diversity of off-piste terrain, and much of it hidden from initial inspection!
- Tremendous lift access backcountry terrain.
- Wonderful village atmosphere at Valmorel.
- Decent range of restaurants & bars.
- Exceptionally good value lift pass prices & options.
Cons
- There can be some lift queuing in the morning as the majority of people head up toward the Col de Madelaine, but it is easy to avoid and doesn’t last long.
- Can’t think of any other ones. Aren’t too many deal breakers here!!
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Snowboarders may struggle on some of the longer surface tows, but they are on terrain at the fringes of the ski resort.
- Public transport access is a touch laborious, but still doable!
- Village at St François Longchamp is absolutely functional and affordable, but in no way has the same ambiance as Valmorel.
- After dinner entertainment is limited.
- Definite lack of high-end hotel accommodation at either village, but is that really an issue?
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
The Grand Domaine Valmorel St Francois Longchamp skiing & snowboarding terrain is certainly two halves that make a whole, although it is probably more appropriate to split into three - Valmorel, St François Longchamp and then the Lauziere with its vast sidecountry offerings as a separate entity. Check out the ski trail map below.
The terrain at St Francois Longchamp is relatively wide open and gentle; perfection & fun for everyone up to intermediate. Lots of green trails is perfect for novices, and then there is enough of everything else to hold everyone’s interest. Everyone needs to ski the long ‘Route de Tour’, a pleasant 6km slide down the snow-covered summer road over the Col de la Madeleine. Cutting corners on powder days is mandatory.
Valmorel on the other hand, despite having a high number of beginner trails, has a diversity of terrain that is unlike anywhere else we have skied; and that’s saying something! We wonder what it looks like in summer because the many eroded canyons, steep inbounds freeride zones, lots of off-piste alpine ‘shrub’ skiing, are incredible. The terrain accessible via the Mottet chair & the Riondet tow is fabulous, and any advanced or better powder hunter will be well pleased.
Even though it is technically part of St Francois, the Lauziere sector is so different that it feels like another ski area completely. Massive alpine terrain served by one chairlift, the pistes will make intermediates quiver in fear, the bumps under the chair will make advanced skiers knees shudder, and the rest of the off-piste will make everyone salivate. When we say that, we mean for ski-tourers looking for sidecountry adventures & experts looking for anything, you can find it in this zone. Understand your exits though!
The 47 ski lifts at Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp are a mixed bag of modern gondolas (in Valmorel), various new(ish), middling & vintages chairs plus some important surface tows to access tasty off-piste. The amount of surface tows is actually extraordinary (29 of the 47 lifts), but they are not obvious to most visitors as they tend to serve the fringes and the main ski sectors. Overall the lift system serves the terrain superbly and lift lines are relatively non-existent.
Lift Passes
Outstanding lift pass prices are a feature of Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp. Options include buying to ski the whole Grand Domaine or to purchase cheaper ones for either Valmorel OR St Francois Longchamp.
Where is Valmorel St François Longchamp France?
The Valmorel St Francois Longchamp ski resort
The closest major gateway airports are Chambery (INN) (for travellers from within Europe or the UK) and Lyon (LYS) & Geneva (GVA) (for everyone else!). Our preference is to use Geneva if possible, but each to their own!
From the airports, the choice of transport is dependent on your plans. If staying at one location in either resort village with direct access to the ski lifts, a private transfer might be best. Get a rental car if wanting some independence of movement or take public transport if you want to help save winter! Anyone with an unnatural aversion to public transport and driving on winter roads may want to look at a private transfer anyway. And it makes financial sense if in a group of 3 or more people.
Search & book here for all airport transfers to Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp.
Public Transport
Travel by public transport to St François Longchamp is possible via the Saint Avre - La Chambre train station and then the S30 bus. Services per day are not great in number and will usually be just 2 most days or 3 on a Saturday. Bus up to the 1650 village takes about 50min.
To Valmorel, the route S62 bus runs from Moûtiers train station about four to five times a day most days, and then up to 10 times on a Saturday.
Trains to Moûtiers from the direction of Geneva or Lyon come via Annecy or Chambery before heading on via Albertville. Frequency through the day at all times of the week is very regular. The regional train stopping at Saint Avre - La Chambre starts its journey at Chambery, with a frequency of usually every two hours through the day. Note a wait for the bus may be required given the infrequency of the S30 bus line to St Francois.
Search & book here for train tickets to Valmorel or St-Francois-Longchamp.
If driving is your thing, get a rental car from the airport. If renting in France, ensure the vehicle is winterised - snow tyres in winter is not standard in France. Parking in the resort village is free but not ample during busy periods.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to France ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in France page.
Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp Accommodation
A wonderful feature of the ski resort is the village at Valmorel. Beautifully designed, it will bluff you into thinking there has been a village here for a thousand years (spoiler alert – there hasn’t!). Lots of ski-in ski-out, an intra-village gondola, ski lifts extending directly from the village – wonderful.
At the other end of the resort, Saint-François-Longchamp is a more traditional French Alps ski resort development. Somewhat utilitarian, what it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in practicality and price. The upper village, called 1650 is the place to stay. Two other resort villages, Le Hameau, and 1450 also have direct access to the ski lifts & slopes.
Search & book a place to stay via Le Grand Domaine Valmorel - Saint-François-Longchamp Ski Accommodation Listings
For recommendations on the best accommodation, see our Where to Stay in Valmorel & Saint-François-Longchamp page.
Ski Rentals
Ski rentals are available via our local partners at locations close to the ski lifts in Valmorel, St Francois 1650, & St Francois Le Hameau villages. Receive a discount when you compare, search & book via our Valmorel Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Valmorel St-Francois-Longchamp is in the heart of a major France ski region. The closest neighbouring ski resort is the mighty 3 Vallees via the Tarentaise or Maurienne (from Orelle), and Les Sybelles on the opposite side of the Maurienne valley.
Review & More Info
The Powderhounds reviewed Le Grand Domaine Valmorel - St François Longchamp in February 2025. We both surprised at how good it is and dismayed that we haven’t skied here until now. It represents a near perfect balance of size, affordability, accessibility, quality lifts & luscious terrain. Oh and it has great snow quality too. We will be heading back to ski a powder day or three there when we are in the region. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Valmorel - St Francois Longchamp compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding at Valmorel or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.